A
Review of Layla
and the Lake
By
Marcia D. Ross
Pelekinesis
Printing, Claremont CA. April 2019
Review
by Tom Miller
This
is a work of fiction. The lake does not exist except on these pages.
Layla does not exist except on these pages. None the less they both
are real. They are recognizable. This is because the author, Marcia
D. Ross does an excellent job of creating place and person in her
story Layla
and the Lake.
The lake, unnamed in the book, could be one of hundreds that exist
in Maine not unlike those that one finds in New Hampshire, Vermont,
New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, or Minnesota. It is a pleasant place
to be as is the forest that surrounds it.
Layla
is a thirty something single mother with two children - a 14 year old
son who is pushing limits and beginning to try his wings and an eight
or nine year old daughter who still needs her mother in her life.
Layla is a poet and an editor for a publisher of classical and
academic works whose current project is an analysis of Milton's Paradise Lost , scenes
of which pop into Layla’s internal narrative throughout the book.
Layla is also everyone who has ever stumbled, erred, made bad choices
in life and punishes themselves with constant recrimination and
self-doubt. Her self-view is jumbled as is her life. She is
confident in her competence with her work but less so in
relationships with others, her children, her former in-laws, her
ex-husband, and her somewhat mysterious lover whom she meets at the
lake.
Layla
has brought her children to her former in-laws’ summer home at the
lake so they can spend time together as a family, (which is no longer
really a family) in anticipation of her ex-husband and his current
wife’s arrival the following week. Layla will then depart to give
family time to that particular portion of the family, after
which the children will return to their mother in Boston. At least
that’s the plan.
The
Lake is the setting but also a main character in the story. It is
peaceful, relaxing, welcoming, beautiful and most of all…away. But
it is also challenging and while not threatening, none- the- less --it is
to be respected as at times it can be unexpected and tumultuous,
potentially dangerous. This is unlike Bobby, the man who lives alone
across the lake and with whom Layla engages upon a journey of
discovery. Bobby is kind, caring, and gentle but a man with secrets.
Layla who constantly berates herself for her impulsive actions and
unthinking decisions follows her normal behavior pattern as their
relationship evolves.
Of
course this adds another layer to Layla’s constant self-derision
and her search for indicators in others’ behavior that validate her
conviction that they have judged her and found her wanting, but are
too polite to be overt in their assessment.
In this her first
novel, Ross portrays both Layla and the lake with excellent depth.
Her ability to describe both place and character immerses the reader
in them. You are there. You experience the lake and its surroundings.
You come to know Layla and root for her. The cast of characters are
each introduced as one dimensional, but as Ross peals away their
layers they prove to be far more complex and real. The tensions
between Layla and the in-laws build and are in flux. The same is
true in the relationship with Bobby. And the arrival of the
ex-husband presents another set of tensions which are resolved, more
or less, in an interesting way.
And
Layla’s self-esteem? Well, therein lies part of Ross’ artwork.
You need to read the book in order to find out how that progresses.
Ross is an excellent story teller and the reader will find themselves
engrossed.
